It is of great advantage to both the patient and the clinician that medication be formulated so that the active drug therein be released over extended periods of time thereby resulting in reduced dosage frequency. The literature is replete with various dosage forms from which the drug may be released for an extended period of time including oral tablets, osmotic pressure devices, and dispensers utilizing semi-permeable membranes. In recent years, polymers, such as hydrophilic polymers, examples of which include hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose and other cellulose ethers, have been developed for use in sustained release compositions as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,389,393 to Schor et al, 4,357,469 to Schor, 3,870,790 to Lowey et al, 4,369,172 to Schor et al and 4,226,849 to Schor et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,312,594 to Cyr et al discloses a long-lasting troche which contains a medicament and equal portions of pectin, gelatin and carboxymethylcellulose; the troche interacts with saliva to dissolve in the mouth to form an adhesive composition which secures and retains the medicament to the oral mucosa.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,571 to Chen discloses a liquid carrier for a diagnostic or therapeutic agent which liquid carrier includes a fine particle size hydrocolloid, such as a cellulose ether, suspended in a non-aqueous water-immiscible mobile liquid. When a composition containing the diagnostic or therapeutic agent in the liquid carrier is made to contact a moist surface, the mobile liquid is drained off and the hydrocolloid (carrying the diagnostic or therapeutic agent) attaches itself to the surface.
For intravaginal treatment, various types of tablets, capsules, foams, pessaries, ointments and creams containing various conventional drugs in conventional delivery systems have been introduced for either short or long term therapy. Although these various forms have enjoyed some success, they all suffer from one or more disadvantages, whether it be in the form of expulsion of the drug during use, difficulty in application and/or physical discomfort to the patient. Attempts to overcome such drawbacks have been minimal since therapeutic treatment by vaginal insertion remains of relatively minor commercial importance.
Accordingly, an effective antifungal suppository formulation which overcomes the disadvantages associated with prior art for intravaginal treatment would be a most exciting advance.